Pakistani Cleric Claims Alleged Abuse Of Women By Militants In Kashmir: One Roti For Sexual Favours?

New Delhi: A Pakistani cleric Mufti Saeed Khan, who is known to have close links with former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, has alleged that insurgents operating in Kashmir coerced vulnerable women into sexual exploitation in exchange for basic necessities like food.

What did Mufti Saeed Khan say?

Mufti Saeed Khan made remarks during a public lecture titled 'Kashmir and our hypocrisy'.

In his address, Khan described what he called a “dark reality” of the insurgency, claiming that women and girls in refugee camps were forced to trade sexual favours for “a single roti.”

In his remark, Khan said that Kashmiri Muslim women and girls in refugee camps were forced to trade their bodies for “a single roti".

The cleric said that thess groups often portrayed as "mujahideen" or religious warriors preyed upon displaced and economically distressed women, exploiting their vulnerability amid ongoing instability. 

During the address, Khan said that there is a pattern of coercion where survival needs were weaponised against civilians, particularly women.

What did the intelligence say?

According to Indian intelligence sources, the statement by Khan is a “significant internal confession,” noting that such admissions from within Pakistan’s religious and political ecosystem are rare. Officials believe the comments significantly undermines the country’s long-propagated narrative of a “pure jihad".

The remark controversy has once again brought focus to the humanitarian cost of prolonged conflict in the region, especially on women and displaced populations. 

It also raises critical questions about accountability, the role of state and non-state actors, and the lived realities behind geopolitical narratives.